Annabelle Jimenez (left) received the New York Lifestyle Change Award from Macy’s executive vice president Molly Langenstein at the 2018 Go Red For Women Luncheon in New York City. (Photo courtesy of Annabelle Jimenez)

She knew why. Having long struggled to control the quality and quantity of her diet, her weight had ballooned to 380 pounds.

“I couldn’t walk a block without feeling extremely tired and in pain,” she said.

Jimenez grappled with polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormonal condition that increased her risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease and high blood pressure. For years, doctors had urged her to lower her cholesterol level. But because they hadn’t put her on medication, she didn’t take it seriously enough.

Then she endured a series of wake-up calls, all in a short span.

Her doctor said she was prediabetic. Her son’s father had just survived a cardiac arrest and a triple bypass operation. The fact he was diabetic, and thus at higher risk for heart problems, made an impact, too. And she knew her family history of heart disease was another major risk factor.

She added it all up and came to a conclusion: At 34, it was time to make some major changes. If not for herself, then at least for her son, Jaylin, who was 9.

In August 2015, after more than a decade of considering gastric bypass surgery, Jimenez underwent the procedure.

The surgery helps with weight loss by reducing the amount of food the stomach can handle, and how many calories the body absorbs. Lifestyle modifications are needed to ensure its success, and Jimenez devoted herself to making them stick this time.

And they did. Through diet and exercise, she’s cut her weight nearly in half, and inspired her son, husband and mother to get healthier. Jimenez became so devoted to fitness that she’s been certified as a personal trainer. In March, her efforts were recognized with the Go Red For Women New York Lifestyle Change Award.

“I am stronger than I thought I was and I don’t want to go back to where I was,” she said. “Mindset is important, and you have to believe you can do it.”

After the surgery, Jimenez welcomed exercise into her new lifestyle.

The first year, she sweated to videos at home. In August 2016, she began working with a trainer at a gym.

The bigger adjustment involved her diet.

For many years, she was a single mom who worked full-time, and she fell into the habit of skipping meals during the day, then gorging on fast food or low-quality snacks from convenience stores. That continued even after getting married in 2012.

Since the gastric bypass surgery, she’s more methodical in her meal planning. She now maps out each meal and snacks for an entire week. She’s eliminated fatty and high-sugar foods, and swapped sugary beverages for seltzer water.

To fully appreciate the difficulty of this change, consider her circumstances.

Jimenez lives in Queens, New York. Her urban neighborhood is filled with fast-food restaurants and convenience stores – but not a grocery store. The closest one requires walking 10 blocks to the subway and then riding four stops.

Jimenez lost 100 pounds the first year, then 80 the next year. The changes inspired her loved ones.

Jaylin got off the couch and got moving. He stays active by playing basketball in the backyard.

“I’m teaching him to eat cleaner and healthier,” Jimenez said. She’s also making sure he understands his risks of heart disease and “how important it is to take care of one’s health when you are young.”

Her husband, Eddie Roman, was diagnosed with prediabetes in 2016. With her help, his blood sugar is back to normal – and he’s down three pant sizes.

“Fast food was all I knew, but Annabelle has made me a lot more aware of what I’m eating,” Roman said. “I’m actually reading the labels to check the calories and sugar, and I never thought that would happen.”

Jimenez convinced her mother to make changes to her traditionally carb-heavy Puerto Rican diet. As a result, her Type 2 diabetes is under control for the first time in a decade.

“Now she has a portion of rice, rather than a whole plate of rice,” Jimenez said.

Having overhauled her health and improved her family’s, her next aim is inspiring others to change their lives, too.

“I feel happier than I have ever been,” Jimenez said. “There is so much enjoyment when you are able to reach your goals. I honestly believe that once someone is serious about changing their life and take on the challenge of enduring a difficult road, success can be achieved.”

Stories From the Heart chronicles the inspiring journeys of heart disease and stroke survivors, caregivers and advocates.

If you have questions or comments about this story, please email editor@heart.org.

]]>More attention should be paid to heart health of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults, study suggestshttp://newsarchive.heart.org/attention-paid-heart-health-lesbian-gay-bisexual-adults-study-suggests/
Thu, 02 Aug 2018 20:00:54 +0000http://newsarchive.heart.org/?p=29846By AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION NEWS Lesbian, gay and bisexual adults are more likely than heterosexuals to have poor cardiovascular health, according to preliminary findings from a new study. The study, presented Tuesday at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Lifestyle conference in New Orleans, analyzed data collected from 2,445 adults […]

Lesbian, gay and bisexual adults are more likely than heterosexuals to have poor cardiovascular health, according to preliminary findings from a new study.

The study, presented Tuesday at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Lifestyle conference in New Orleans, analyzed data collected from 2,445 adults participating in the 2011-2012 National Health Examination and Nutrition Survey, a long-running federal study of U.S. children and adults.

Of the study participants, about 5 percent self-identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual.

The researchers looked at the participants’ answers to questions related to their cardiovascular health, such as smoking status, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Based on their responses and their blood work results, the participants were categorized as having ideal, intermediate or poor health.

Among adults ages 20 to 49, 60 percent of heterosexuals, 56.2 percent of bisexuals and 45 percent of gay men and lesbians had intermediate or ideal cardiovascular health.

The majority of homosexual and bisexual adults in that age range — 55 percent and 43.8 percent, respectively — were in poor cardiovascular health. By comparison, 39.9 percent of heterosexuals were in bad health.

Anshul Saxena, the study’s lead author and a biostatistician at Baptist Health South Florida in Miami, said the findings underscore the need for primary care doctors — the first line of defense in disease prevention — to do more to help their LGB patients improve their cardiovascular health.

Saxena said part of the problem may be that LGB adults often worry about how their primary care doctors will treat them. A more welcoming health care environment, the researcher said, “may allow lesbian, gay and bisexual patients to feel better understood or willing to disclose [health concerns] and subsequently improve their care and health outcomes.”

Dr. Billy A. Caceres, a practicing nurse and postdoctoral research fellow at Columbia University School of Nursing in New York City, said the results of the new study confirm previous findings that LGB young adults are more susceptible to heart disease and stroke than their straight peers.

Caceres, who was not involved in the study presented Tuesday, is the lead author of a 2017 review article of studies that looked at cardiovascular disease risk among sexual minority adults. The review found lesbian and bisexual women were more likely than gay and bisexual men to engage in unhealthy behaviors that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, LGB adults were more likely than heterosexuals to use tobacco, have poor mental health, use illegal drugs and be overweight.

Saxena and his colleagues are now looking at survey data from more recent years to get a better grasp of heart disease and stroke risk among LGB adults.

Caceres said adding data to the new analysis that goes beyond just the 2011-2012 survey could shed more light on the reasons why LGB adults have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. He also said it would be important for the researchers to look at each group (lesbian, gay, bisexual) individually because “the disparities in this population potentially aren’t uniform.”

Beyond informing physicians about the health risks of LGB patients, Caceres said these findings have implications for heart disease and stroke awareness campaigns targeted to LGB communities around the country.

“We don’t have anything that really focuses on cardiovascular health in LGB people,” said Caceres. “And really, what would that look like? And what are the implications of having that type of public health campaign? Would it deter people from engaging in certain health behaviors?”

Ultimately, he said, “I think that the larger message is that a lot of our questions about this population are really unanswered.”

If you have questions or comments about this story, please email editor@heart.org.

]]>A better way to predict heart attacks and strokes in spacehttp://newsarchive.heart.org/a-better-way-to-predict-heart-attacks-and-strokes-in-space/
Mon, 30 Jul 2018 09:00:59 +0000http://newsarchive.heart.org/?p=40155By AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION NEWS Researchers may have developed a more reliable way to predict the risk of heart attack and stroke in astronauts – and the technique may eventually help gauge the same danger for regular folks on Earth, too. NASA astronauts currently undergo a special screening method that […]

Researchers may have developed a more reliable way to predict the risk of heart attack and stroke in astronauts – and the technique may eventually help gauge the same danger for regular folks on Earth, too.

NASA astronauts currently undergo a special screening method that scans coronary arteries for a buildup of calcified plaque. This calcium scan, which is not routinely done in clinical practice, is a powerful tool in assessing cardiovascular risk. Yet scientists have had trouble integrating the results from these scans with traditional risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and family history of heart attack.

But researchers have developed a new equation that combines the calcium scan scores with those well-established risk factors. The result is a more accurate way to predict a person’s risk for having a stroke or developing heart disease within the next 10 years, according to findings published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

“The application for NASA is incredibly important. You can imagine if someone had a heart attack in space, it would be catastrophic for the person and the mission,” said Dr. Amit Khera, a cardiologist and the lead author of the study.

“But we were kind of serving two masters in this project. Obviously for NASA, it’s a tool they need to help in decision-making for astronauts in their missions,” said Khera, a professor of medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. “But for terrestrial medicine as well, it has lots of potential applications in terms of helping us predict better who’s at risk for heart attack and stroke, and who might need more intensive treatments.”

The new risk scoring system is the first to help predict both heart disease and stroke, said Dr. Michael Blaha, a cardiologist not involved in the new study. It also looked at a younger age group than a similar heart disease risk calculator developed several years ago that also incorporated calcium scan results. That calculator, which Blaha helped develop, was based on patients at an average age of 65. In the new study, the average age was 51.

“It’s been clear within the last several years that the calcium score by far adds the most risk-predictive value on top of traditional risk factors, and this study helps confirm that,” said Blaha, director of clinical research for the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease in Baltimore.

“I like this new risk score. The only thing I’m not certain of is where it will fit in and what the clinical impact will be,” he said. “I don’t know how unique will it be in the space of risk prediction tools, which is already crowded.”

For astronauts and other professions that come with a high level of danger, better cardiovascular risk calculators can be crucial. But having such tools available for the general population could help improve medical efficiency, Khera said.

Doctors already rely on certain risk factors to help gauge the need for prescriptions such as cholesterol-reducing statins or whether they should suggest a daily aspirin regimen for patients, he said. A new risk calculator could help medical professionals refine those assessments.

“Hopefully, we can eventually apply this tool in office-based practices to … communicate better [with patients] about their risk and do that with more accuracy, so we can determine what might be the best treatment for them,” Khera said.

If you have questions or comments about this story, please email editor@heart.org.

]]>Limit low-calorie sodas and drinks, and stick to water instead, researchers advisehttp://newsarchive.heart.org/limit-low-calorie-sodas-and-drinks-and-stick-to-water-instead-researchers-advise/
Mon, 30 Jul 2018 09:00:12 +0000http://newsarchive.heart.org/?p=40270By AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION NEWS People are drinking fewer diet drinks these days, and a panel of health experts agrees that’s a good idea. A science advisory from the American Heart Association published Monday in the journal Circulation counsels against regular and long-term consumption of diet beverages, particularly in children. […]

People are drinking fewer diet drinks these days, and a panel of health experts agrees that’s a good idea.

A science advisory from the American Heart Association published Monday in the journal Circulation counsels against regular and long-term consumption of diet beverages, particularly in children. Instead, the group of leading nutritionists, doctors and researchers urged people to replace sugary and diet drinks with plain, carbonated or unsweetened flavored water.

The committee spent two years combing through dozens of studies – some of which brought up associations between low-calorie sweetened drinks and weight gain, dementia, stroke and other health problems – and concluded that the science was still too fuzzy to draw hard-and-fast conclusions about the health effects of diet drinks.

“There’s not a huge body of literature, either observational or clinical trials,” said the writing group’s chair, Rachel K. Johnson, a professor emeritus of nutrition at the University of Vermont. “Based on the evidence available at this time, this is the best advice we have.”

The advisory acknowledges the reality that many people might use diet drinks to wean off sugar-loaded drinks if they feel they can’t make the wholesale leap to water. “This approach may be particularly helpful for individuals who are habituated to a sweet-tasting beverage and for whom water, at least initially, is not a desirable option,” the report said.

Encouragingly, the writers pointed to federal data based on self-reported surveys showing adults and young people already are drinking less of both sugary and diet drinks.

In 2006, adults drank an average of about 5.6 ounces of low-calorie drinks a day. By 2014, that fell to 3.8 ounces a day, the federal data shows. Consumption for kids and teens declined during that time, too, in the range of less than an ounce a day. A serving size is about a cup, or 8 ounces. A can of soda is usually 12 ounces, although some come in 8-ounce sizes, too. Sports drinks come in a variety of bottle sizes, from 12 ounces to 32 ounces.

When it came to sugar-laden drinks, adults in 2000 drank about 16.2 ounces a day, according to the data. That declined to 8.4 ounces a day by 2014. Kids reported drinking 19 ounces each day in 2000, and 8.6 ounces a day in 2014. In 2016, the AHA issued its first scientific statement warning about added sugars intake for kids, saying children and teens should consume no more than 8 ounces of sugary beverages a week.

“We want to make crystal clear it’s important to maintain that [downward] trend,” said Alice H. Lichtenstein, vice chair of the writing group and director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at Tufts University in Boston.

“We hear a lot about potential adverse effects of low-calorie sweeteners, but much of it is speculation. We have to go with the available evidence,” said Lichtenstein, the Gershoff Professor of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts. “The best advice we can give at this time is to ramp down intake and avoid excess consumption.”

The advisory was more cautious in its advice for children because there is “virtually no data” on the long-term effects of low-calorie drinks, said writing group member Dr. Frank Hu, chair of the nutrition department at Harvard University and professor of nutrition and epidemiology.

“One question we discussed is whether for children who are obese and who drink regular soda on a regular basis, is it OK for them to drink diet soda instead?” Hu said. “The consensus is that for short-term weight control, it’s OK. Certainly, it’s not the best alternative … because we all know there are more healthy alternatives, such as water, low-fat and fat-free milk.”

The report included an exception for one specific population: children with diabetes. The authors say those children who eat a balanced diet and who are closely monitoring their blood sugar may help keep their levels in check by substituting low-calorie drinks for sugary ones when needed.

In 2012, the AHA and the American Diabetes Association issued a scientific statement saying artificial sweeteners used “judiciously” in foods and beverages could help people lower added sugars intake, maintain a healthy weight, and lower the risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. But it warned the science was “limited and inconclusive” about that strategy.

The new science advisory included eight low-calorie sweeteners – six currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration and two extracts from plants.

AHA science advisories typically review and analyze recent research on topics related to heart and brain health, as a way to educate the public and synthesize the latest information.

While this new advisory pointed out the dearth of clear evidence from diet drink studies, nutrition researcher Christopher Gardner feels there is plenty that is clear.

“Artificial soda, there’s nothing good about it,” said Gardner, who was not an author on the latest advisory. He was lead author on the 2012 scientific statement and is director of Nutrition Studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center. “There’s nothing health-promoting about it. The only health-related role it has is as a transition beverage, replacing or displacing sugar-sweetened beverages.”

But even that, Gardner said, doesn’t seem to be playing out in current trends, pointing to declining consumption of both regular and diet drinks.

If you have questions or comments about this story, please email editor@heart.org.

]]>Proposed farm bill would put nutritious food further out of reach for vulnerable Americans, advocates sayhttp://newsarchive.heart.org/proposed-farm-bill-would-put-nutritious-food-further-out-of-reach-for-vulnerable-americans-advocates-say/
Mon, 30 Jul 2018 08:00:04 +0000http://newsarchive.heart.org/?p=40309By AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION NEWS The House of Representative’s proposed farm bill could have far-reaching effects on Americans living with chronic diseases like heart disease and stroke, advocacy groups say. Last month, the House released its version of the farm bill that proposed sweeping changes to hunger assistance programs, including […]

The House of Representative’s proposed farm bill could have far-reaching effects on Americans living with chronic diseases like heart disease and stroke, advocacy groups say.

Last month, the House released its version of the farm bill that proposed sweeping changes to hunger assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The provisions would mean stricter work requirements and reduced funding for nutrition education initiatives. Millions would either have their benefits decreased or be cut from the program.

The House and Senate still must reconcile their versions of the farm bill. The Senate’s bipartisan proposal ensures that vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly and the disabled, still have access to SNAP benefits.

More than 40 million Americans, including an estimated 16 million children, struggle to put food on the table. SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is the nation’s most prolific anti-hunger program, serving one out of every eight Americans.

Whether temporary or chronic, research shows food insecurity is devastating for Americans struggling with serious illnesses.

SNAP is designed to help mitigate the risks of food insecurity, and has been shown to improve some health outcomes. In households that receive SNAP benefits, children have lower rates of hospitalization compared with similar households not participating in SNAP. The program has also been linked to positive health outcomes in adulthood, including reduced risk for obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

Most SNAP recipients who can work do so, research shows. Among households with at least one working-age, non-disabled adult, more than half work while receiving SNAP. More than 80 percent of SNAP recipients work in the year before or after receiving SNAP, with rates being even higher for households with children.

“People don’t do anything well if they don’t have enough to eat,” said Asha Carter, community outreach specialist at D.C. Greens, a food justice nonprofit in Washington, D.C. From finding stable employment to having regular medical appointments, Carter said food insecurity should not be viewed as an isolated issue.

D.C. Greens is using input from SNAP recipients to create programs that better align with peoples’ needs. Its Produce Rx initiative, which is similar to a provision in the Senate farm bill, provides patients who are at risk or experiencing diet-related chronic illnesses with a monthly “prescription” for fresh fruits and vegetables from their health care provider that they can redeem for food at farmers markets.

Carter said the response from both SNAP recipients and physicians has been overwhelmingly positive. D.C. Greens is currently working on expanding the program by partnering with a grocery store in one of Washington, D.C.’s poorest neighborhoods.

As groups like D.C. Greens work to put healthier food within reach for vulnerable populations, nutrition groups look for solutions that encourage healthier eating habits among SNAP recipients.

“Currently, [SNAP] is sending competing messages,” said Angela Rachidi, a poverty studies research fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based American Enterprise Institute. “It’s the largest nutrition assistance program, yet it allows unhealthy products to be purchased.”

Research into SNAP diet quality is ongoing, but current literature suggests that despite the program’s documented success in reducing hunger, SNAP still needs improvements to address issues related to diet quality.

]]>When it comes to protein, quality is more important than quantityhttp://newsarchive.heart.org/when-it-comes-to-protein-quality-is-more-important-than-quantity/
Fri, 27 Jul 2018 11:00:49 +0000http://newsarchive.heart.org/?p=38957By AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION NEWS High-protein diets are everywhere, but not all protein is created equal. For heart health, experts say the key is moderation and choosing wisely. “Very high intake of meat, especially processed red meat, is not good for overall health,” said Dr. Jyrki Virtanen, author of a […]

High-protein diets are everywhere, but not all protein is created equal. For heart health, experts say the key is moderation and choosing wisely.

“Very high intake of meat, especially processed red meat, is not good for overall health,” said Dr. Jyrki Virtanen, author of a recent study on protein consumption. “Those who are used to eating very high amounts of meat could consider moderating their intake.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recommendation for protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight – or about 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. For a 155-pound adult, that’s roughly 56 grams. For a 190-pound adult, it’s about 68 grams. The USDA has a calculator to help determine a recommended daily allowance.

Virtanen’s study found middle-aged and older men who ate higher amounts of protein were slightly more likely to develop heart failure than men who ate lower amounts. He and his colleagues looked at data from 2,441 Finnish men over two decades and found 334 cases of heart failure. The results showed men who consumed the highest amount of protein had a 33 percent higher increased risk of heart failure than men who consumed the lowest amounts.

“More research on this topic is definitely needed,” said Virtanen, an adjunct professor of nutritional epidemiology at the University of Eastern Finland. “But our findings indicate that high protein intake may have some adverse effects on health, especially if the protein is coming from animal sources.”

Just what kind of protein is best for cardiovascular health is a question that’s evolved in recent years.

A study in November said eating a mostly plant-based diet was associated with a 42 percent reduced risk of developing heart failure for people with no history of heart disease.

Still, many people cling to the notion of eating lots of meat and protein, fueled in part by the enduring popularity of low-carb, high-protein diets such as Paleo, Ketogenic, Atkins and the Zone, said Jo Ann Carson, a dietitian and professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

“But if you use that very high protein diet to lose weight, typically the only way to keep that weight off is to continue to follow that dietary pattern, and there might be potential health issues there,” said Carson, chair of AHA’s nutrition committee.

“Probably the biggest problem with large amounts of protein is when it doesn’t leave room in your diet for antioxidant-rich and fiber-rich fruits and vegetables and whole grains,” Carson said.

In May, the AHA issued a new advisory recommending people up their intake of omega-3 fatty acids by eating one or two servings of non-fried fish or shellfish a week. Carson said fish was among “the good-quality proteins people should be looking for, including lower-fat dairy and plant-based proteins, like soy and quinoa.”

As people get older, their protein requirements typically increase, Carson said. But no matter their age, people confused about their protein intake should seek out an expert.

“I think it’s a good idea to work with a registered dietitian, especially if you have a family history of heart disease,” she said. “They can tell you ‘This is a healthy diet’ or ‘You’re getting enough protein, but the rest of your diet needs work.’ Much more important than the amount of protein you eat is the quality of your protein.”

If you have questions or comments about this story, please email editor@heart.org.

]]>Making the case for better health in public housinghttp://newsarchive.heart.org/making-the-case-for-better-health-in-public-housing/
Wed, 25 Jul 2018 18:41:18 +0000http://newsarchive.heart.org/?p=39792By AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION NEWS As an attorney and vice president of a real estate firm, Marcella Roberts makes decisions based on data — cold, hard facts. But the stats about heart disease in women didn’t become real for her until it became personal. Two years ago, while attending the […]

Heart disease become personal to Marcella Roberts when she was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Her efforts to build heart-healthy public housing won her the American Heart Association’s Louis B. Russell Jr. award in June. (Photo by Tim Sharp for AHA)

As an attorney and vice president of a real estate firm, Marcella Roberts makes decisions based on data — cold, hard facts. But the stats about heart disease in women didn’t become real for her until it became personal.

Two years ago, while attending the American Heart Association’s flagship meeting, Scientific Sessions, Roberts had her blood pressure taken. It read an alarming 195/110. (Put in perspective, blood pressure under 120/80 is considered normal.)

“The lady at the booth said, ‘Something must be wrong.’ So, I put my arm in it again and it said the same thing,” Roberts said.

Sitting and resting, and then relaxing with a chair massage, didn’t change the results. Roberts ended up in the emergency room — a trip that would ultimately change her lifestyle and galvanize her efforts to help communities get healthier in her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama.

Roberts was honored last month with the AHA’s Louis B. Russell, Jr. award for her outstanding service to minority and underserved populations. The award’s namesake was an African-American man and the 34th person to undergo a heart transplant, surviving more than six years — a world record in the 1970s.

After Roberts’ ER trip, she started taking blood pressure medication, hit the gym and cleared her cupboards of junk food, dropping 30 pounds in 90 days. She also started volunteering for the AHA’s awareness movement for women’s heart and brain health, Go Red For Women.

Even before her risk for heart disease skyrocketed because of high blood pressure, Roberts was no stranger to this devastating disease.

“I am even more determined to educate African-American women, my own family and the community at large about heart disease and how it can be prevented,” said Roberts, whose father died of congestive heart failure.

Roberts, whose firm specializes in affordable housing, knows that factors such as housing, transportation, food access, street safety and proximity to medical care impact heart disease, the leading cause of death in the world.

Those factors, collectively known as “social determinants of health,” have not traditionally been thought of by many as heart-health issues. But Roberts knows addressing them is important to help people live in healthier environments.

“I structure deals that prioritize and redevelop public housing and create quality, decent, affordable housing for low- to moderate-income families,” she said. “Most of these families live in food deserts with no access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Many are smokers, have uncontrolled hypertension, have not seen a doctor in years and don’t exercise.”

As chair of the Greater Southeast Affiliate Multicultural Committee, she led a pilot program focused on affordable housing. Nearly 1,000 residents have received health education and almost 300 housing units are smoke-free, while community gardens are springing up.

“It touches my heart when they realize the impact smoking has on their children and when they understand they really can cook healthy meals on a limited budget,” Roberts said.

“I’m doing what I was called to do,” she said. “My purpose is to empower people to overcome obstacles. My only regret is that I didn’t start this journey sooner.”

If you have questions or comments about this story, please email editor@heart.org.

]]>Returning to work after a heart attack can be tough, but also good medicinehttp://newsarchive.heart.org/returning-to-work-after-a-heart-attack-can-be-tough-but-also-good-medicine/
Wed, 25 Jul 2018 12:51:55 +0000http://newsarchive.heart.org/?p=39608By AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION NEWS After five weeks off recovering from her heart attack, Melissa Murphy looked forward to returning to her job. “I’m back out, and I’m contributing again,” the Iowa mother of two remembered thinking. “I’m not a victim, which is how you sometimes feel when you’re sitting […]

After five weeks off recovering from her heart attack, Melissa Murphy looked forward to returning to her job.

“I’m back out, and I’m contributing again,” the Iowa mother of two remembered thinking. “I’m not a victim, which is how you sometimes feel when you’re sitting on your couch and everybody leaves to go to work or school and you’re left with your thoughts.”

But she occasionally ran into a few bumps during her transition. As someone who sometimes travels hours at a time for her work in the pharmaceutical industry, Murphy initially was nervous to be so far away from emergency help. And her anxiety already was heightened from adjusting to a work schedule far more rigid than the month of relaxed daily routines she had just left behind.

Returning to work after a heart attack often requires patients to clear unexpected psychological hurdles in addition to the physical ones they already face.

But the effort could pay off. Research suggests going back to work can be critical to fighting off depression and improving overall health, in addition to avoiding financial hardships.

In a study published last month in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, nine out of 10 people who suffered a major heart attack had returned to work within a year. For those who didn’t, or who ended up working less, many reported depression, a poor quality of life and money problems that made it difficult to pay for medication.

Dr. Haider Warraich, a cardiologist at Duke University Medical Center and the lead author of the study, said relaying such findings to patients can help reassure them about the safety of returning to work. His research looked at more than 9,300 heart attack patients, more than half of whom were employed at the time of their heart attack.

“There are a lot of misconceptions around whether work-related stress might cause a heart attack,” he said. “While stress is a risk factor for heart disease, it’s much lower than traditional factors like [high] blood pressure and smoking.”

In addition, “treatments for heart attacks are better than they’ve ever been,” Warraich said. “That kind of information might help ease some of the fears or psychological barriers patients might have about returning to work.”

For survivors, the question “will I ever get back to where I was before?” pops up repeatedly.

Melissa Murphy said her family helped her overcome anxiety when she returned to work after a heart attack. Murphy with her husband, Joseph, and children Brenna and Parker. (Photo courtesy of Gretchen Scott Photography)

Murphy, who was 40 when she suffered her May 2016 heart attack, remembers having to check in with her husband every time she left and returned home to assure him she hadn’t relapsed.

The same kind of thinking followed her to work, when she was driving hours at a stretch on remote highways.

“I kept thinking, ‘What if I don’t have cell phone service and I have another heart attack,’” said Murphy. “That was very anxiety-provoking because I thought, if I’m in a small town that doesn’t have a hospital, how is the ambulance going to get to me in time?”

Rachel Dreyer, who co-wrote an accompanying editorial to Warraich’s study, said the findings are “a call to action” for doctors to look beyond a clinical perspective.

“How do we help patients transition from hospital to cardiac rehabilitation and to maintenance of their long-term health? Part of this challenge is helping patients return to work,” said Dreyer, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Yale University’s School of Medicine.

The study found patients who had excessive bleeding after their heart attack or who later were readmitted to the hospital were less likely to return to work than people who didn’t have such complications.

That – both Dreyer and Warraich noted – can help doctors identify patients at higher risk of not returning to work and who might need additional attention.

“Employment represents well-being and good health, and not being able to get back to work leads to detrimental effects, which we know from the literature can mean an impact on physical and mental health,” Dreyer said.

For Murphy, returning to work meant returning to a “new normal.”

“The sooner you can get back to that normalcy the better, because it can be so easy to spiral down into an anxious depression,” she said. “But you really, really must rely on your support system – from family to friends to coworkers – to get there.”

If you have questions or comments about this story, please email editor@heart.org.